[PATV] Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - Extra Credits Season 3, Ep. 8: Cutscenes

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[PATV] Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - Extra Credits Season 3, Ep. 8: Cutscenes

This week, we discuss the role (and frequent misuse) of cutscenes in video games.

Read the full story here

betrayerkol

One other super-big reason why cutscenes shouldn't be removed entirely you didn't mention: they can be skipped (if you still make unskippable cutscenes in 2012, stop doing that).

This allows people who don't care about the storyline to enjoy games that people who DO care about the storyline also like - and it allows people who are replaying the game to focus on the game instead of rehashing the plot.

m25105

Why doesn't the guy use his real voice?

VezRoth

I loves me a cutscene! Provided that they are cool and deliver excellent story. WoW's new patch 5.1 has been doing that over and over again.

TheHentaiChrist

Every time I go back and play and start a new game of Fallout, I watch that same cut scene again. Even when I go back and play Final Fantasy VI or Chrono Trigger, I let the title screen loop through once just for that contextual experience.

erecktshawn

wow, that ending image!

DeDreamer428

I'm one of those people who plays games to get to cutscenes. To me no other "reward" in a game is worth it. Especially when you're beating extra bosses. Towards the end of the game you've got more money than you know what to do with and all the regular enemies die in droves before the strength of your mere halitosis. If you're still playing the game at that point the only reason you're there is because you love the characters and the world and you're reluctant to leave it. If I beat a gigantic world devouring dragon after an hour long battle where I have to use every trick at my disposal and then I win some magical golden axe that's the most powerful weapon ever, I feel cheated. However, if the same scenario ends with even some dorky little cutscene where the characters don't even talk but at least interact with each other or the world around them I feel satisfied. The only thing you can take out of a game and into the real world is experience, that's what makes cutscenes better than loot drops.

KingStarscream

I think the newest Phoenix Wright game has both the best and the worst uses of cutscenes. The opening and closing scenes are impactful and really add to the experience, while many of the ones during the middle of a case (during a key moment in the story) don't always stack up. Now, for the most part, the good FAR outweighs the bad. However, I think it's a good case study both in what to do, as well as what NOT to do.

padoyle

I think there's something to be said about the use of cutscenes as a break from gameplay. While I think it's a great idea to try to use play to establish narrative, it's sometimes worth actually giving the player a break.

Even though we play games BECAUSE they're interactive, constant interaction can be exhausting. When I beat a boss in Devil May Cry, all I really want to do next is watch it fall and hear some cheesy one liners from Dante (why do I enjoy them so much!?). I think this is particularly relevant after INTENSE gameplay (whether physically, like button-mashing GoW finishers, or mentally, like drawn-out JRPG bosses that take an hour to beat and you still almost die at the end).

To be clear, I keep pointing out boss battles but I think this could apply more generally. At the end of a difficult level, or after finally solving a puzzle, etc. My point is that cutscenes really CAN be a player reward; as long as the player appreciates a breather when it rolls. It lets them take a deep breath, lean back from the screen a bit, and revel in their accomplishment without interrupting the progression of the experience the way pausing would.